Hi there,
Just wondering if you’d all seen the beta release of the smashing magazine site https://next.smashingmagazine.com/
What does everyone think?
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Hi, had quick look, its interesting. Wondering how finished this is. The typography looks very untidy. Also I felt the content would slide like a carousel when i clicked on it.
P
It’s still in Beta, and I know they’re after feedback (green banner at the top for reporting things)
This is the email that came with it:
Nobody likes major changes, and so major redesigns never go unnoticed. With the announcement of the open beta of the shiny new Smashing Magazine last week, we were literally overwhelmed with feedback, ranging all the way from surprise and delight to shock, concerns and skepticism.
We’ve been introducing significant changes both technically and visually. We removed the back-end altogether. Instead, static HTML, advanced JavaScript APIs, running as a progressive web app with a service worker in the background and blazingly fast performance — served from a CDN near you. Instead of pushing advertising over the edge, we’ve taken the drastic decision of removing advertising almost entirely, focusing instead on featuring our lovely products. Visually, we have rediscovered what Smashing Magazine means and how it’s perceived, and fully embraced the quirky, informal personality that we developed over the years.
Indeed, our new journey is quite radical, and there are many reasons that prompted us to introduce major changes. One of them is the unbeatable performance benefit of static sites. Another reason is the dysfunctional advertising ecosystem which doesn’t sustain the magazine any longer. Yet another is the unique chance to design a truly smashing experience from start to finish, with the entire stack running on good ol’ HTML, CSS and JavaScript — all progressively enhanced.
We’re not stubborn though. We’ve been listening to the concerns, bugs and issues raised, and we’ll be working to improve the overall experience over the next weeks and months. Not everything is set in stone already, and I am eternally grateful for your fantastic feedback so far, and your kind support in our little journey. We’ll be sure to keep you informed of the next steps, and we’ll even have a couple of articles coming up to explain what exactly is happening behind the scenes!
Never stop learning, and stay smashing!
Vitaly (@smashingmag)
I find the huge red block at the top very disconcerting.
The articles page is all red! It’s a bit intense!
Not particularly enjoying the black on red…
I can’t imagine that is hugely accessible…